Bernard Tapie
Encyclopedia
Bernard Tapie is a French
businessman, politician
and occasional actor
, singer, and TV host. He was Ministre de la Ville (Minister of City Affairs) in the government
of Pierre Bérégovoy
, a businessman specializing in recovery for bankrupted companies, among which Adidas is the most famous (he owned Adidas from 1990 to 1993); and owner of sports teams (his cycling team won the Tour de France twice and his soccer club the french championship 5 times in a row, and the Champions League in 1993).
On September 30, 2011 it was disclosed Tapie had agreed to buy Full Tilt Poker
and its assets despite its legal troubles in the United States and the revocation of its gambling license.
, one of Tapie's former businesses, is a chain of health product stores. It sponsored one of the strongest cycling
teams of all time called La Vie Claire
. It was founded after the 1983 season when multiple Tour de France
winner Bernard Hinault
broke from the Renault-Elf team that also featured another Tour winner in Laurent Fignon
after a falling-out with team manager, Cyrille Guimard
. Following Hinault to the new team was Greg LeMond
, who would go on to win three Tours himself. Both Hinault and LeMond would win Tours with the La Vie Claire
team.
From 1986 to 1994, he was president
of the Olympique de Marseille
soccer club, which became Champion of France and won the Champions League
. In May 1992, he was forced to resign of his function as Minister of City, by the Prime minister Pierre Bérégovoy
, who thus established the misnamed "Balladur jurisprudence
," according to which an indicted member of the government should resign.
won the Champions League
, he was accused of fixing the match between his club and minor club Valenciennes
; the motivation seemed to be that, in this way, he could save his best players for important matches and not waste their energy. His club was stripped of its French league
championship, though not of the Champions League title, and later suffered a forced relegation to the second division
because of financial irregularities widely blamed on Tapie. In 1994, Tapie was put under criminal investigation for complicity of corruption and subornation of witnesses. After a high profile case against public prosecutor Éric de Montgolfier
, he was sentenced in 1995 by the Court of Appeals
of Douai
to 2 years in prison
, including 8 months non-suspended and 3 years of deprivation of his civic rights. He was incarcerated for about 6 months in 1997. He sold his boat Club Med 2
to Club Méditerranée.
Bernard Tapie was also prosecuted for tax fraud
.
On 30 September 2008, a French court ended a long legal battle between Tapie and the Crédit Lyonnais
bank. Crédit Lyonnais had allegedly defrauded Tapie in 1993 and 1994 when it sold Adidas
on his behalf to Robert Louis-Dreyfus
, apparently by arranging a larger sale
with Dreyfus without Tapie's knowledge. The court awarded 405 million euro
s to Tapie. This decision was partially overturned on 9 October 2006 by the Court of Cassation
, the main court of last resort in France
.
In the 2007 presidential election
, he supported Union for a Popular Movement
(UMP) candidate Nicolas Sarkozy
, despite having been a minister in a Socialist government, and being a member of the Radical Party of the Left (PRG). According to Le Canard enchaîné
, this support was won by Sarkozy because of tax issues which he promised to resolve following his election.
, in Claude Lelouch's 1996 movie Hommes, femmes, mode d'emploi
(Men, Women: A User's Manual).
In 1998, he collaborated in a song
by French artist Doc Gynéco
, "C'est beau la vie."
A documentary was recently made titled Who is Bernard Tapie? by American filmmaker Marina Zenovich.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
businessman, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and occasional actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, singer, and TV host. He was Ministre de la Ville (Minister of City Affairs) in the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
of Pierre Bérégovoy
Pierre Bérégovoy
Pierre Eugène Bérégovoy was a French Socialist politician. He served as Prime Minister under François Mitterrand from 1992 to 1993.-Early career:...
, a businessman specializing in recovery for bankrupted companies, among which Adidas is the most famous (he owned Adidas from 1990 to 1993); and owner of sports teams (his cycling team won the Tour de France twice and his soccer club the french championship 5 times in a row, and the Champions League in 1993).
On September 30, 2011 it was disclosed Tapie had agreed to buy Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
and its assets despite its legal troubles in the United States and the revocation of its gambling license.
Biography
La Vie ClaireLa Vie Claire (company)
La Vie Claire is a French chain of health product stores. It sponsored one of the strongest cycling teams of all time called La Vie Claire with Bernard Hinault. In 1980, it was bought by Bernard Tapie with a 200 millions francs turnover through 250 stores. In 1996, it generated only 10.6 millions...
, one of Tapie's former businesses, is a chain of health product stores. It sponsored one of the strongest cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
teams of all time called La Vie Claire
La Vie Claire
La Vie Claire was a professional road bicycle racing team named after its chief sponsor La vie Claire, a chain of health food stores.-History:The La Vie Claire team was created in 1984 by Bernard Tapie and directed by Paul Koechli...
. It was founded after the 1983 season when multiple Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
winner Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985...
broke from the Renault-Elf team that also featured another Tour winner in Laurent Fignon
Laurent Fignon
Laurent Patrick Fignon was a French professional road bicycle racer. He won the Tour de France in 1983 and in 1984. He missed winning it a third time, in 1989, by 8 seconds, the closest margin ever to decide the tour. He also won the Giro d'Italia in 1989, after having been the runner-up in 1984,...
after a falling-out with team manager, Cyrille Guimard
Cyrille Guimard
Cyrille Guimard is a French former professional road racing cyclist who became a directeur sportif and then a television commentator...
. Following Hinault to the new team was Greg LeMond
Greg LeMond
Gregory James LeMond is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States and a three-time winner of the Tour de France. He was born in Lakewood, California and raised in Reno, Nevada....
, who would go on to win three Tours himself. Both Hinault and LeMond would win Tours with the La Vie Claire
La Vie Claire
La Vie Claire was a professional road bicycle racing team named after its chief sponsor La vie Claire, a chain of health food stores.-History:The La Vie Claire team was created in 1984 by Bernard Tapie and directed by Paul Koechli...
team.
From 1986 to 1994, he was president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
soccer club, which became Champion of France and won the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. In May 1992, he was forced to resign of his function as Minister of City, by the Prime minister Pierre Bérégovoy
Pierre Bérégovoy
Pierre Eugène Bérégovoy was a French Socialist politician. He served as Prime Minister under François Mitterrand from 1992 to 1993.-Early career:...
, who thus established the misnamed "Balladur jurisprudence
Balladur jurisprudence
The "Balladur jurisprudence," named after former French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur, is an unwritten rule according to which a member of the French government who has been indicted in a judicial affair should resign from his functions...
," according to which an indicted member of the government should resign.
Legal difficulties
In 1993, the same year that Olympique de MarseilleOlympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
won the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, he was accused of fixing the match between his club and minor club Valenciennes
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...
; the motivation seemed to be that, in this way, he could save his best players for important matches and not waste their energy. His club was stripped of its French league
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
championship, though not of the Champions League title, and later suffered a forced relegation to the second division
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
because of financial irregularities widely blamed on Tapie. In 1994, Tapie was put under criminal investigation for complicity of corruption and subornation of witnesses. After a high profile case against public prosecutor Éric de Montgolfier
Éric de Montgolfier
Éric de Montgolfier is a famous French prosecutor .When head prosecutor in Valenciennes, he became famous for prosecuting the businessman-cum-politician Bernard Tapie for rigging the match between his football club Olympique de Marseille and the local club Valenciennes FC...
, he was sentenced in 1995 by the Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals
A court of appeals is an appellate court generally.Court of Appeals may refer to:*Military Court of Appeals *Corte d'Assise d'Appello *Philippine Court of Appeals*High Court of Appeals of Turkey*United States courts of appeals...
of Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
to 2 years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, including 8 months non-suspended and 3 years of deprivation of his civic rights. He was incarcerated for about 6 months in 1997. He sold his boat Club Med 2
Club Med 2
The Club Med 2 is a five-masted computer-controlled sailing ship owned and operated by Club Med and operated as a cruise ship. She combines the power of seven computer-operated sails with more traditional diesel-electric power, having four diesel generators that power two electric motors.The Club...
to Club Méditerranée.
Bernard Tapie was also prosecuted for tax fraud
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
.
On 30 September 2008, a French court ended a long legal battle between Tapie and the Crédit Lyonnais
Crédit Lyonnais
Crédit Lyonnais is a historic French bank. In the early 1990s it was the largest French bank, majority state-owned at that point. Crédit Lyonnais was the subject of poor management during that period which almost led to its bankruptcy in 1993...
bank. Crédit Lyonnais had allegedly defrauded Tapie in 1993 and 1994 when it sold Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
on his behalf to Robert Louis-Dreyfus
Robert Louis-Dreyfus
Robert Louis-Dreyfus was a businessman who had major success as Chief Executive Officer of Adidas-Salomon and Saatchi & Saatchi. He was a majority shareholder of the French football team Olympique de Marseille, and during his tenure they re-emerged as a major European football club.- Early life...
, apparently by arranging a larger sale
Sales
A sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation. It is an act of completion of a commercial activity....
with Dreyfus without Tapie's knowledge. The court awarded 405 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s to Tapie. This decision was partially overturned on 9 October 2006 by the Court of Cassation
Court of Cassation (France)
The French Supreme Court of Judicature is France's court of last resort having jurisdiction over all matters triable in the judicial stream but only scope of review to determine a miscarriage of justice or certify a question of law based solely on points of law...
, the main court of last resort in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In the 2007 presidential election
French presidential election, 2007
The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy...
, he supported Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
(UMP) candidate Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
, despite having been a minister in a Socialist government, and being a member of the Radical Party of the Left (PRG). According to Le Canard enchaîné
Le Canard enchaîné
Le Canard enchaîné is a satirical newspaper published weekly in France. Founded in 1915, it features investigative journalism and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and humorous cartoons.-Early...
, this support was won by Sarkozy because of tax issues which he promised to resolve following his election.
Media
In 1995, Tapie turned to artistic endeavors because he was unable to pursue his previous interests: he was personally bankrupt and therefore unable to pursue business ventures, he was declared ineligible to run for political office, and he was banned from football. The first thing he turned to was film. He starred, together with Fabrice LuchiniFabrice Luchini
Fabrice Luchini is a French stage and film actor.-Biography:Fabrice Luchini was born in Île-de-France, Paris, into an Italian immigrant family, who were fruit and vegetable vendors. He grew up around the neighbourhood of Goutte d'Or in Paris's 18th arrondissement...
, in Claude Lelouch's 1996 movie Hommes, femmes, mode d'emploi
Hommes, femmes, mode d'emploi
Hommes, femmes, mode d'emploi is a 1996 French film directed by Claude Lelouch.-Cast:* Fabrice Luchini - Fabio Lini* Bernard Tapie - Benoit Blanc* Alessandra Martines - Docteur Nitez* Pierre Arditi - Lerner* Ticky Holgado - Toc Toc, Loulou's father...
(Men, Women: A User's Manual).
In 1998, he collaborated in a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by French artist Doc Gynéco
Doc Gynéco
Doc Gynéco is a popular French hip hop artist of Guadeloupean origin. His music is typically characterized as a ragga/rap style, that has found its fan base in France. Born in Clichy-la-Garenne, France on July 7, 1974, Beausir's mother was Caribbean and his father white...
, "C'est beau la vie."
A documentary was recently made titled Who is Bernard Tapie? by American filmmaker Marina Zenovich.
Career
- ManufranceManufranceManufrance was the trade name of Manufacture Francaise d'Armes et Cycles de St.Etienne, a French mail order company which was situated in the manufacturing town of St. Etienne since 1888...
- Diguet-Denis
- Testut
- La Vie Claire (company)La Vie Claire (company)La Vie Claire is a French chain of health product stores. It sponsored one of the strongest cycling teams of all time called La Vie Claire with Bernard Hinault. In 1980, it was bought by Bernard Tapie with a 200 millions francs turnover through 250 stores. In 1996, it generated only 10.6 millions...
- LOOK
- TerraillonTerraillonTerraillon is a producer of household goods. Its products include consumer and medical weighing scales, consumer healthcare products and water filtration systems.- History :...
- Donnay
- WonderWonderWonder most commonly refers to:* Wonder , an emotion comparable to surprise that people feel when perceiving something rare or unexpected.Wonder may also refer to:In fiction* Wonder Boys, a 1995 novel by Michael Chabon...
- AdidasAdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...